Couch-bed.



No. 793.761. PATENTED JULY 4, 1905.

G. A. BAKER. Y

GOUCH BED.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. I1. 1905.

lilNTTEfn STATES Patented July 4, i995.,

PATENT OFFICE.

Cl-iAR-LES A. BAKER., Oli N EW YORK, N. Y., ASSlbrNOR TO NEW YORK COUCll BICI) COlVIPANY, OF ROTS/HG, NEW YORK, A CORPORAIION OF consumeren.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '?93,'61, dated July t, 1905..

Application filed February ll, 1905. Serial No. 245,174.

To JJ whom, il; '/rtftl/ con/ecru,.-

Be it known that l, UuAnLns A. Bamm, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State ot' New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oollclulieds, el which the lellowing speciiieation and accompanying' drawings illustrate one Yform otl the invention, which l now regard as the best out of the various jlorms in which the invention may be embodied.

My invention relates to folding' couch-beds olAl that type employing a main stationary l'rame, a secondary lrame adapted to slide in and out on the main .frame and having its forward edge resting on the Iloor, and a back and seat hinged to each other and to the secondary Aframe, together with catch devices lor connecting said back and seat at an angle or allowing them to lie extended horizontally, and linkage attached to the main 'frame and back, whereby the secondary Irame and the back and seat carried thereby are caused to slide in and out when the seat is properly manipulated by grasping' and swinging' its lront edge. Couch-beds of this kind can be opened and closed without moving them out 'from the wall. Heretolore these articles have been made in the 'form ot' a sofa with stationary ends and the sliding' frame, aswell as the back and seat. made in box form, a construction particularly adapted to being manul'actured in wood. Such affairs are heavy and clumsy, collectors of dust, and occupy practically all ot' the space between the top level ot' their seat and the floor.

My invention embodies a new arrangement oi the parts in their individual construction and mutual relation, such that a couch-bed having the general characteristics lirst mentioned may be made of light and strong materials, such as rolled angle iron or steel, and is Vfurthermore adapted to receive a modern pattern ol" wire mattress, such as one made ot' a iexiblc `fabric of wire bars and plates suspended by tension-springs at its edges and preferably supported underneath by bedsl'u'ings.

'lfhe invention includes a construction of angle-iron metallic: Vtrame arranged for the support of the bed-springs and the attach ment oi the wire-mattress Fabric.

lt further includes a simple improved lorm oi catch lor connecting the back and seat, cmistructed for a pulling as distinguished from a pushing' action when the couch-bed is drawn or folded together.

OF the accompanying` drawings, Figure l represents an end elevation ol a couclrbed embodying' my improvements with the parts in lolded position to constitute a couch. Fig'. 2 represents an end view with the seat thrown up to extend the couch and convert it into a bed. Fig'. 3 represents an end view with the seat depressed into the plane ol the back. Fig'. represents a section on the line t 1 of Fig'. 5. Fig. 5 represents a front elevation. Fig'. 6 represents a plan view. Fig'. 7 represents a perspective view ol the catch for colmecting the back and seat lrames. Fig'. 8 represents a section on the line 8 S of Fig. Lt.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

As shown in the drawings, all ol" the 'trames are of' skeleton metallic construction, preferably made ol'l rolled angle-iron bars.

',lhe statirmary base-frame 10 has legs 1l 11 at the tour corners thereof, provided with roller-casters and suitable top barsor rails 12 '12 at the ends. lt also has transverse braces 13 and longitudinal braces le connecting' the legs. The longitudinal braces are depressed below the top ol" the base-'trame ll in order to accommodate the depressed longitudinal bars of the movable su perstructure hereinafter alluded to. ',lfransverse top rails 12 are in the 'form ot' ang'leiron troughs, `lbl'lning guides for the rollers 15 of the superstructiu'e. lt is to be observed that the top of the baseframe nearer to the mattress-level than to the lloor-level, which is a decided advantage `for the purposes of strength, lightness, and cleanliness and ventilation, as well as to af'l'ord a direct support lor the back-frame, as hereinat'tcr describmi. The moving superstruc ture includes a secomlary 'frame 16, whose principal elements are two legs 17 17 at the forward corners, ln'ovided with casters resting' on the lioor, top end rails 18 parallel with the rails 12, and a longitudinal brace 19, depressed to about the level of the base-'frame la and for the sanne purpose, all of said elements being, as shown, of angleiron construction. The rear corners of the sliding frame are supported by rollers 15, working in the guides 12, which rollers. together with the forward casters, enable this frame to slide in and out with respect to the base-frame lO. Near the rear edge of the sliding frame 16 and secured thereto are the ears 20, holding the hingepins 21 for the seat and back frames 22 23, pivoted upon a common axis, whereby the seat and back frames are attached to the sliding secondary frame. 'It is not essential that these ears should project upwardly, and, in fact, it is one of the incidents of my departure from a box construction of frames that l dispense with long uprights which have been considered essential features for the purpose of supporting the hinge-pins. l`he seat and back frames are of similar construction, being of rectangular form with end rails and longitudinal rails made of angle-iron. The end rails 24 have free edges turned inwardly and adapted for the attachment of the wiremattress fabric. I have shown the fabric 25 of well-known form, supported by tensionsprings 26 from the end rails 24 and having a body made up of plates and wire bars. To permit the sag of this mattress, the longitudinal rails 27 of both seat and back frames have their middle portions depressed below their ends, as best seen in Fig'. 5, and connect at intervals by cross-bars 2S. On these crossbars and the rails 27 are lodged ordinary bedsprings 2S), supporting the fabric 25. The wire fabric 25 may be a single one, continuous over both seat and back sections. The cushion-mattress, which l have shown dotted at 30 in Fig. 1, may also be a separate mattress covering both frames.

At the end of the couch are a pair of links or levers 31, located outside of the frames and having their lower ends pivoted at 32 to the rear legs 11 of the base-frame and their upper ends pivoted at to the end rails of the back-frame 23 a short distance back of the hinge-axis 21. The effect of these links is to cause the superstructure to move outwardly when the back-iframe 23 is depressed to a horizontal position, thus causing the back edge of said back-frame to describe nearly a perpendicular line and enable the couch to be extended without drawing it out from the wall.

Pivoted to the end rails of the back-frame 23 at each end are catches 34, designed to clevate the back-frame 2 from a horizontal to a substantially upright position when the seatframe 22 has been elevated to the proper angle.to engage these catches, the catches further disengaging automatically by proper manipulation in order to permit the seat-frame to be laid out flat. Each catch 34 hasa notch 35 on its under side adapted to engage a keeper-pin 3G, formed by one bar of a loop 37, fixed to the end rail of the seat-frame. This notch has a guard or filler in the form of a loop 38, pivoted to swing across the notch and either uncover the said notch to permit the keeper-pin 36 to enter the same when the seat and back frames are placed at a certain angle (shown in Fig. 1)orto drop back of said keeper-pin, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7, when the seat-frame is turned through a further angle, and then as the seatframe is brought back this guard is drawn over the notch by the retractile inovernentof the catch 31, and the pin 36 rides on the guard across the notch instead of entering the notch. It will be noted that the under side of the loopguard 3S engages the lower edge of the catch 34 and is thereby positively held in guarding position, so that the guard does not require an abutting surface other than that furnished by the edge of the catch and the pin 3G in performing' its function. Moreover, when the seat and back frames are extended, as-in Fig. 3, their pivots and keepers lie in substantially a straight line with the hinge-pintles 21, and consequently the catches lie practically in the same plane with the narrow side bars 22 23.

rlhe Inanner of operation of the couch is as follows: Vln folded or couch form the sliding frame 16 is drawn in and the seat and back frames 22 23 held in angular relation by the catches BAL, as shown in Fig. 1. To extend the couch into the form of a bed, a hand-loop 35) on the front edge of the seat-frame 22 is grasped and said frame swung upwardly at an angle. This allows the back-frame 23 to descend by gravity, and the links 31 cause the frame 1G to slide outwardly. The backframe having reached a horizontal position, the seat-frame 22 is given a continued angular movement until it is brought into the position shown in Fig. 2, with the keeper pin 36 back of the guard 38 on catch 34, whereupon the seat -frame is then swung down to ahorizontal position, and the keeperpin 36 passes the notch in catch b4 without entering the same. ln this position the backframe 23 has its forward edge supported by the secondary frame 16 and its rear edge supported directly on the upper edge of the baseframe 10 without the intervention of auxiliary vlegs or other supports. It is te be observed that the catches 34 are located above thehinge-axis 21 when the seat and back frames are in angular relation, se that the angular movement of the scat-frame is transmitted to the back-:frame by a pull through these catches when the couch is folded up from the position shown in Fig. 3 from that shown in Fig. 1. I prefer to have this motion a pull rather than a push in order to make the catch mechanism light, strong, and dura- IOO IIO

ble and avoid obstrijictive projections below the axis of the hinge.

"What ll claim as new, and desire to secure by lJetters Patent, ism-- 1. A. couch-bed comprising a stationaryV base-'tranie ol skeleton metallic construction and o'l such height that its upper portions supporting the movable superstrr'lctm'e are nearer the mattress-level than the {loer-level, a movable superstructure ol skeleton metallic construction including a secondary lrame nlounted to slide on the lloor and on said base iframe, and back and seat Vtrames hinged to said sccom'lary `trame, the back-'lrame when depressed having its rear edge supported directly on the upper edge ot the base-lrame, automatic catch mechanism lor comiecting the seat and back frames in angular relation, and pivoted links at the two ends ot the bed outside ol the base-lrame connecting said backl'rame and base-'trame lor causing the superstructure to slide Forward when the back- Al'rame is depressed, and vice versa.

2. A couch-bed comprising a stationary base-traine ot skeleton metallic construction embodying integral upper cross-bar nlenibers of angle-iron lforming rolkn-guides, a secondary Vlrame et' skeleton metallic construction having horimntal end bars ol angle-iron bent dmiuiwardly on the outside ol the said crossbar members ol the base-'trame to hold the secondary lrame against end wise movement on the bascflrame, rollers on the secondar l'rame cooperating with said guides, and back and seat trames hinged to said secondary l ran i c.

3. A couch-bed comprising a sul'iporting" trame, seat and back YFran'les ol skeleton metallic construction hing'ed to said supporting lrame and including metallic end bars with inwardly-presented lree edges, metallic longitudinal bars with their middle portions depresse below their ends to perinitsagging ol the spring-mattress, and a Vllcxible wire-'liabric mattress or web structure attached to the said l'ree edges oit the end bars ol both seat and back trames.

4l. A crmch-bed comprising a base-frame and a secondary frame mounted to slide thereon, both ot skeleton metallicconstruction and having metallic longitaulinal bars depressed below the upper edges el said trames, seat and back trames ol skeleton metallic construction hinged to said secondary trame and haring longiluulil'ial metallic bars with middle portions depressed below thei r ends and connected by cross-bars, a flexible wire-fabric mattress or web structure supported by the ends el the hinged frames, and bed-springs underneath said mattress on the hinged lframes, slmported by the depressed longitudinal bars and crossbars thereof.

5. il couch bed comprising a stz'ttionary base-traine made el metallic bars including upright legs at the lour corners and integral end cross-bar nnzn'ibers ol1 angle-iron Yforming roller-guides and joining the upper ends olE said legs, a sliding' l'rame nuufleo'l' metallic bars inchiding legs at its lrn'ward corners adapted to rest on the lloor and at its rear corners hav ing rollers mounted in said guides, a mattresssection including hinged seat and back members made ot metallic bars and mounted to swing on said sliding l'rame, automatic catch l'nechanism tor holding the back and seat members in angular relation, and pivoted links connecting' the back member with the base, whereby the sliding llrame is caused to more out when the back is .|epressed, and vice versa.

(l. couch-bed comprising a base-frame, a secoi'ulary Frame mounted to slideon said baselrame and on the lloor, seat and back `trames hinged to said secondary trame, catches to conneet said seat and back trames in angular re lation and having provisions For automatic engagement and disengagement through swing ing inovemen olf tl ,i seatlrame relatively to the back-Trame, said f :atches being' located above the hinge axis ol the swat and back: l'rames when the latter are cfmnected in angular relation whereby the back--lirame is elevated by a pull transmitted through the catches, said catches each having a pivot and keeper which are located substantially in a straight line with the hinge ol the seat and back trames when the latter are extended and linkage con ncetingl the baseiirame with the backdrame whereby the sinierstructure slides outwardly when the back-trame is depressed and vice versa.

7. A couch-bed con'lprising hinged seat and back frames adapted to told at an angle to each other or extend to Iorm a bed-top, a keeperpin on one ol2 said Frames, a pivoted catch on the other lrame haring a notch to engage the keeper-pin, a guard so pivoted to said catch as to swing across the notch, and cor'merating members on the guard and catch l'or arresting the guard in notch-g-mirding position, wherebythe keeper-pin rides on the guard past said notch when the guard is back ol the pin.

ln witness wlusreot l have hereimto set my hand this 8th day ot l*`cbruary, 1905.

Cl l a hliltS A. lnlililli.

llfi tnesses:

Un a ams elrno n n L, llt. linen.

TIO 

